Tuesday, 27 January 2015

THE WHOREHOUSE MASSACRE - Always Has and Never Has Been

The Whorehouse Massacre has returned with five new songs and 26 minutes of filthy sludge metal. This is excellent stuff. Crashes rain down upon the listener, knocking your head up and down beyond your control. This somewhat mysterious two-man band locks into a relentless groove not entirely unlike a Dopefight, Soyuz Bear or even In The Company of Serpents. They're somewhat mysterious because like Brant Bjork I want to ask "where you from, man?" It's hard to say but for pride's sake I'll consider them Canadian. For those unfamiliar with the band, the vocals are rough-hewn but not obnoxious, it's one of those instances where (slightly) growlier vocals actual match or even enhance the music. I've long been a fan of this underrated band, but I'll leave with a warning to audiophiles: this recording has a lo-fi edge to it, which again enhances the experience for me, but may leave others cold. Their loss.